education

What’s the Real Problem with Cell Phones in School

/ DiggsMcGee / Leave a comment

I have decided to begin a new series of posts under the misnomer “What’s the Real Problem.” Why a misnomer? You’ll see…

Today’s topic is Cell Phones in School… and… what’s the problem.. with them in school.

But not really.

Here’s the scoop.

Kids use cell phones in school.

*GASP* right?

Oh, you knew that already? Good, then maybe you’ve had time to think about the ramifications of students being free to carry around a powered on (but in most cases silenced) calculator-dictionary-encyclopedia-video game console-TV-radio-in-one device throughout the course of the school day. I have thought about it extensively. Here’s my thoughts (some, specifically from the point of view of a teacher, which I was for some time):

First, let’s go with the obvious: it’s a distraction. Just think about the last time you were out with friends (…or saw other people out with friends, you loser ;). What do you always see? Someone, at least one person, is on a smartphone. They could be checking social media, taking a selfie, looking at emails, checking up on their sports, or just reading articles. They could also be playing a game, searching through YouTube, or simply browsing the web. You see kids doing this all the time. Sometimes in groups in which they purposely planned to meet so they could “see each other”. Sure they could be talking to one another and having a conversation, but instead they’re playing games or posting the dankest memes. It’s a distraction that I myself use when I don’t feel like being social, or when I don’t feel like I’m a part of the group I’m with. It’s a distraction and an escape. That escape can be OK… and a little mobile gaming while waiting in line to order food isn’t that big of a deal. As a matter of fact, most adults who get on their phone during any downtime aren’t doing anything particularity wrong. Nor are they using the phone to take the place of another, more social activity (like talking to a friend). Most of them wouldn’t be talking anyway. And when they do have something to say, the phone usually goes off until the conversation is done.

But that’s not even the issue with phones in school. And I’ll bet you think I’m going to accuse students of using them to cheat?

*loud raspberry noise*

Ya, right!

I had to train students to use their school issued tablets to look something up when they were arguing with one another, or wondering how something worked, or couldn’t remember where a country was located on the globe. The same thing happened with students at a community center where I worked. They would just argue back and forth. And I would comment, “too bad we don’t have some way to look up this information. You know, if only I had a pair of pants that produced information and then I could just reach into my pocket and pull out that information. I’d know everything!”… Then they’d look at me like I’m stupid, but one of them would take the hint.

That’s right: the future rulers of our social security checks, the ones who grew up with technology at their fingertips didn’t think “oh ya! I’ve got Google in my pocket. Let’s ask her!”

Yes. Google is female.

So if being a distraction isn’t the big problem with cell phones in school, and the possibility of using them to cheat isn’t the biggest problem, then what’s the problem?

The problem is us.

Not “us” meaning “US” or to clarify “U.S.” or to say bluntly the “United States of America.”

“Us” meaning you and me and the teachers and the principals and the parents and the politicians and even the students. All of us. We are the problem.

Example time!

There is this kid I know who draw pictures and posts them to Facebook. He does this throughout the school day. He also posts other stuff or shares posts from Facebook pages.

But again, this is during the school day. While he’s in school.

Now, you’d think there would be a third category here. We already have “distraction” and we have “cheating.” So this might be… “wasting time?”

Actually, this use of a cell phone is poor time management… or wasting time, and possibly a distraction. But it’s not cheating. At least not in his case.

OK, let’s look at it this way: If he is supposed to be paying attention to the teacher, but is instead danking those memes, then he is using his time poorly, while also being a disrespectful dolt. However, if he is playing on his cell phone while he should be doing homework, then he is just using his time poorly. If he has no lecture to listen to and no work to complete, then I guess he’s not doing anything wrong. Why would I say that?

If he didn’t have his phone, he’d still be doodling. The same things above apply to his doodles: if he doodles while teacher is teachering – disrespectful dolt. If he doodles instead of doing homework – wasting time. But if he has nothing to do, and the teacher just needs the students to chill until the bell rings, then he’s at least doing something with his time instead of causing a disruption, being loud and obnoxious, or blankly staring at the wall. At least he’s creating something.

Is that the same as getting to the next level in Pokemon Go? I don’t think so.

But what about reading an article on a news app? Or playing a puzzle game? Or sending a close friend a picture of you as a puppy, because that friend has been going through a hard time and hasn’t felt much like, well, feeling anymore?

Sure, posting a picture of a drawing to Facebook while you’re in school might make someone think, “why are you on your phone? You’re supposed to be paying attention in class!”

But the truth is there might not be much to pay attention to.

The reality is, since a lot of schools allow students to carry around their phones with them, the teacher needs to explicitly explain the appropriate and inappropriate times to be on the cell phone. The school needs to have specific rules for this stuff. The parents need to back up the school when they enforce these rules. AND the parents need to be a part of the whole process: telling the school what they think of phone use. Talking to their kids about their phone use. And also, working with the school, backing them up, and disciplining their kids at home, properly.

We also need to stop being such hypocrites!

Do you know what I began writing this post on? My phone. And do you know where I was? The ba- that’s not important.

If we as adults are going to use our phones to listen to music, watch videos, take pictures, look up information, navigate around town, find movie times, check emails, take business calls, chat with groups whether friends or colleagues, then maybe we need to allow students to do the same. Albeit, we need to examine our own habits to make sure we are using the technology appropriately and in a mentally and physically healthy manner. AND we need to then educate our children on those same habits. But why not just let the kids use their phones?

It would be like anything else. Let’s look at drinking. Ridiculous statistics about underage drinking aside, what do most people do when they turn 21? They go crazy bar hopping trying every drink known to the western world… and then a few from the east. Why? Because they can.

If we tell kids “no phones in school” then not only are we lying to them about how the real world works, but we are closing them off. Once the doors are opened they will get out those cell phones and never look back. If we don’t let them use their phones in a real world environment we’ll never have the chance to educate them about how and when to use them. Likewise, when it’s just not appropriate to have that phone out.

I can imagine a kid at a funeral, on his phone, playing some game… because he’s bored. Naively unaware at the emotional state of those around him. Wait, did I say I could imagine this? Oh, sorry. I meant to say I’ve seen this before.

And that’s not even the half of it.

What problem will I have next?

Who will be the butt of my jokes?

How many one sentence paragraphs can I get away with?

Find out next time on…

“What’s the Real Problem”!

Promotional consideration for “What’s the Real Problem” provided by:

Nobody.

-Diggs out

P.S.  I hate the idea of kids walking around school with their faces glued to their phones. It’s just stupid.

P.P.S.  If I was a student allowed to have my phone, you bet I’d be on it all the time. Maybe not while the teacher it talking, but definitely instead of doing homework. I used to doodle all the time, too. ;D

P.P.P.S.  ‘sup!

Guy Complains About School – Offers No Solutions… just like everyone else

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Someone I know shared this video on Facebook. It looked… ok, I guess. So, I thought, “eh, lets see what this is about…” But I didn’t get very far.

Why didn’t I watch the whole video? (disclaimer: I did not watch the whole video. I did read comments on the video and have a general idea of how the rest of the video went.)

Because, this video is just complaining. For every teacher who forces the desks to be in a row there are three times as many who put kids in pods or circles. Raise your hand before you speak? Ya! It’s called respect. Why haven’t classrooms changed in 100 plus years? IDK Why hasn’t bread changed? Why hasn’t the political system changed? Why hasn’t footwear, apple pie, monetary systems, infrastructure, or house layouts changed? Some things don’t need to change.

Are you mad because you can’t wear certain clothes to school?

You can’t speak how you want?

You have to do homework?

Well, guess what, your boss isn’t going to care what your favorite band or superhero is. He (or she) isn’t going to put up with your loud, interrupting mouth very long. What’s that? Didn’t feel like working on your project because it was Halloween? Congratulations! You’re fired!

Hate standing in line? What if everyone went to the DMV and just walked to the counter, without any regard to the persons who have been waiting their turn? What if that happened at the supermarket, the bank, a theme park, at traffic lights?

In school, you learn a lot about how to behave as a civilized, dignified person. You learn social skills as well as math, reading, science, etc. Kids just don’t realize it because they don’t want to work (lazy), they just want what they want when they want it (selfish), and they are plagued by a world that has convinced them that school is there to force them to be a “good student” and that teachers don’t care about them.

Bullshit!

You know who doesn’t care about students? People who knock on teachers. If these people put a little time and effort into actually studying the schools, teachers, policies, school districts, principals, and students then they would learn what teaching in today’s world is all about.

But most people just ask the kids, “what don’t you like about school?” And then, they use this as a measuring stick for how good the school actually is. That’s like asking an inmate in prison, “so, what do you think your punishment should be for raping and murdering 20 children within the past decade?” That’s just stupid! Anyone who doesn’t like something is going to tell you it’s wrong or bad for them or just something they don’t like. If you give them a chance, they’ll make up an excuse as to why what they have to put up with is detrimental to their mental health, their education, and their future. But it’s all BS. A kid says, “I want less homework and more recess” and you’re just going to give it to him? The prison inmate says, “I should be able to wear pink shirts with my favorite superhero on it” are you going to give in to that too?

(btw, students are not prisoners. I know this.)

I have heard a lot of stories that are absolutely contrary to some of the statements this guy made. For example, when there was yet another school shooting a teacher I know actually stopped math class to sit down with her students and discuss their feelings and emotions on the matter. She recognized that math wasn’t really important at that time. The emotional well being of her students was the important thing right then.

I personally have mixed up classes, subjects, and topics to help students grow. I’ve sat on the floor with kindergarteners and read them a book. I’ve sat at my desk with a class of 7th graders crowding around me to talk about some political issue. I’ve interrupted my lessons just to talk about something the students really wanted to discuss.

“But all teachers aren’t like that.”

Uh… good!

You think you’re going to learn how to deal with rude, obnoxious people if your teacher just lets you express your mind all the time? Do you think you’ll be able to handle a boss who is strict if your classroom doesn’t have any rules? Do you think a police officer is going to care that you don’t learn when people are yelling at you (and hopefully he’s only yelling at you because you’re doing something wrong… another thing you learn not to do in school… wrong things, that is… and hopefully they taught you not to yell at cops, or any other authority figure)?

Discipline is a good thing. Punishment is a good thing. Embarrassment can be a good thing. Love is a great thing.

But “loving” a child doesn’t mean making them happy all the time. You’re going to be in the world one day and people are going to make you mad, sad, and glad. You have to learn how to deal with it. Does this mean some teachers should be jerks to give the kids a well balance education? No. Are some teachers jerks? Yes. Is this a good thing? Uh, bittersweet, maybe.

And then he got to his point.

My point is that complaining about things doesn’t fix them. I was a teacher and I left teaching. Was I trying to fix the school system? No. I was just trying to be a great teacher and mentor to my students, while giving them good information on my subject of computers and computer science. And guess what… the students didn’t always like what we did in computer class. We did lots of cool, fun stuff. But not everyone liked it. It’s as if every student is a different person and you can’t compare any of them, or the schools they go to. It’s as if a YouTube video wouldn’t really matter much in the grand scheme of life. And it’s also as if this guy (who produced the video) is just a bitter young man who didn’t like his school and feels betrayed by the school system he was supposed to be educated by.

Well, congratulations, guy! They taught you how to read and write, and now you can make YouTube videos and convince the students of this generation how bad school is and how much it needs to change to conform to students expectations instead of providing actual value to the students life: i.e. life skills, social skills, basic education, understanding of political and social systems, and the basic knowledge to self-teach and eventually go down your own path in life.

Like you did.

To close out I would like to make a confession: I hated school. I hated everything about it. To this day I hate school. I enjoyed teaching, if only because I thought I could add value to my student’s education that I never found. I thought I could be the teacher to them that I never had. I wasn’t too thrilled at some of the things I saw observing in other schools, as well as working in a school. But, you know, that’s life. Nothing is going to be perfect. Even if I was to become a principal there would be teachers who wouldn’t like what I was doing any more than I liked what I saw principals and other teachers do. But I am happy to have received that kind of experience. Now I know, and I can help make a better tomorrow with actual experience in the field, rather than just changing something I hated at one time in my life.

*sigh*

The world we live in, am I right?

Anyway, that’s my thoughts. They are just my thoughts. And actually, this is only a sliver of the thoughts I’ve had about education. I’ve recently moved to Florida from Illinois. There were a ton of kids who went to the school where I worked, or visited the Community Center where I worked who suddenly liked me and didn’t want me to leave. I say “suddenly” because I never knew. But they knew and they cared. All that work I did, I did for them. And guess what? It was working. I just never saw it. As a teacher you pray for a sign that you’re getting through to your students; that what you’re doing actually matters. But you rarely ever get it, and when you do it’s only from one student. I got lucky. And I don’t appreciate some YouTube loser putting down schools systems as one, general item when so many of the teachers and administrators are working harder than I did, and making a difference in the lives of thousands of students each year. Yes, school is hard. Yes, it sucks some times. But it’s also necessary and we are doing the best we can.

-Diggs out

P.S. – I should have tried to come up with a better analogy than prison… but I think it’s one so many people can relate to… that is, many kids already think of school as prison. Sad, but true.

P.P.S. – there’s a new movie coming out about a bunch of kids who rebel against their school because it’s not fun enough… *sigh* can’t wait to see how this affects my old students…

Everything I learned, I learned OUTSIDE of a Classroom…

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The title is true. And this is proof.

This is satire, I suppose, but it’s also a bit real. I have this notebook where I jot things down (it is NOT a diary!) and there is a section related to things I learned in school. I haven’t been keeping it for more than a few years, now. So, it’s not full by any means. As I remember or think about where I figured something out, or who taught me, I jot it down.

Things like…

In middle school I learned:

  1. Adults suck
  2. kids suck
  3. people suck
  4. Learn something long enough to get use out of it, then forget it

In college I learned:

  1. The source of my comics was being bored in class in high school
  2. Understanding things isn’t required: just spit back at the teacher whatever they want to hear
  3. How to open a little bag of chips so I don’t get my hands all dirty from reaching inside

See, really important things.

And yes, I understand that I have actually taken a “biology class” many times in my life before college, so I would have a hard time remembering where I learned about cells, reproduction, viruses, and all that biological stuff. I would get it in elementary school, get more of it in middle school, actually be expected to know it in high school, and then be expected to understand it in college. When, exactly, did I learn what a “zygote” is? Who knows.

But here, from Facebook, is a list of more important things I learned growing up. Real lessons that can serve me well in my travels through life… that is, if I become an animated character in a fairy tale.

What I learned from Disney.
March 11, 2010 at 11:15pm
Everyone learned something from Disney over the years.
Here are the things I learned from Disney movies:

Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming. Cause if you don’t you’ll drown.

Keep moving forward… in time… and try to live with your future family cause your old life sucks.

It’s better to just be me than trade my voice for being a land dweller with a wicked half octopus, half fat lady.

Indians aren’t ignorant savages. Could ignorant savages talk to trees and change history? I think not.

Don’t eat peaches with little glowing, green bugs in them. You’ll turn into claymation.

Never give up, never surrender (was that even Disney?)

If you touch stuff you weren’t told you can touch, the giant tiger made of sand will eat you alive. Hope your monkey grabbed the lamp!

You can be ugly with a big hump on your back, but nobody cares at Mardi Gras… you just ain’t gettin no beads.

You can be goofy and get two movies.

It doesn’t matter where you move to, your pets will find you.

Toys are alive.

After shrinking your kids with a shrink ray, keep the shrink ray and shrink other things. Then, pop that baby in reverse and make things big. The fun never ends!

You don’t have to be a god to be a hero. You just have to be part god with a good goat to train you.

Women can fight in the army. Of course, in China you better save the whole **** city cause aparently the punishment for trying to join the army is death by beheading!

If you let your stuffed bear, rabbit, donkey, pigglet, and rubber tiger loose in the wild, apparently you can be a boy forever.

If you are raised by apes you will actually think you are an ape. Even though you won’t have hair like apes, the vocals like apes, or hands on your feet like apes.

101 dalmations aren’t enough. You need 102.

Make sure you are really moving away from your home town BEFORE you play pranks on everyone in the town.

There really are monsters in your closet. Deal with it.

You can train a ferocious alien to be good if you seclude him on an island with a crazy little girl and play him Elvis music all the time.

Don’t become a pirate.

I can actually get away with stealing the Declaration of Independence if I say it’s a secret treasure map.

There might be distant lands hidden in the back of old people’s wardrobes. There might be…

Cooking is not a science or art, it is a universal language that is so basic even rats can do it.

You really can have the best of both worlds… just not at the same time… and you better invest in some wigs… and your friends need to be VERY understanding…

If I tie millions of balloons to my house I can FLY!

So…………………….
What did you learn from Disney?

How Much Suck Could Windows 8 Suck if We Knew What We Were Talking About?

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Microsoft began touting Windows 8 quite some time ago. It frustrated me for two reasons: they had no finished product to actually display. It was like looking at a very colorful, tablet version of Window Phone 7. Sure, it looked cool, but it was basically just a concept being shown as if it were ready to shove out the door. What else are you supposed to think when Microsoft has actual tablets running (what appears to be) Windows 8? Now that I love it already (partly because it is different, and partly because it’s not Apple) I have to wait for it to actually become a reality. The waiting makes me angry.

The other reason I became frustrated with the first few screen shots and previews of Windows 8 was the idea that one operating system could actually be placed on desktops and tablets alike. Even now, Windows 7 has multiple flavors, including a version to place on devices used for specific purposes such as point-of-sale or kiosks. And from the buzz on the web you might gather Windows 8 will have between 6 and 10 different versions… presumably that means there will be a tablet-optimized version (perhaps the version made for mobile chips?). Even still, it just didn’t sit right with me and many other people.

When the earliest preview came out I got my hands on it. It didn’t work out well for me. I did get to see some parts of the new OS, but overall I just didn’t have the hardware to run it. One thing I did like very much was the Start button. Not it’s functionality, but the look of the button itself. It was a very simple, black window logo. Unfortunately, clicking on it took you back to the Start Screen instead of opening up the Start Menu. As the OS was completely useless to me because of my hardware limitations I did not miss the Start Menu.

Then I got the Windows 8 Consumer Preview. O. M. G. I don’t have a fancy, multi-touch tablet to test Windows 8 CP; just some old Core 2 Duo machine technically made for Windows XP, but compatible with Windows Vista (remember Vista?). The PC runs fine, except for an issue with my video card (which doesn’t have Windows 7 drivers either), but it’s a desktop. I expect it to work like a desktop. The Start Screen is fancy, useful, and clean. The Metro UI is snappy and quite intuitive (I assume it would be more so if I had a tablet to use it on: sometimes the mouse movements seem unnatural, but with a finger I believe they would make sense). You can get to a desktop mode, which resembles (and I suppose also functions) just like a Windows 7 desktop. There’s just one thing… no Start Button. Why is this a problem? How am I supposed to get to my programs? Am I really expected to swipe around the Start Screen with my mouse? The Ribbon aside, the desktop looks the same, works the same, acts the same, feels the same yet lacks a certain usability because you cannot get to your freakin’ programs! I don’t see how this is going to work… at least for people like me…

I teach (what I call) Computer Sciences at a private middle school. We learn about the Microsoft Office software, mostly, but also delve into other areas such as content creation, desktop publishing, digital multimedia, and even HTML programming. I didn’t realize until just this morning how lazy my students are; and possibly what this means for Windows 8. We just upgraded to Windows 7 computers (brand new this time around) this year. In the past we had Windows XP machines (which were much easier for me to customize for new users, clone, etc.). The teachers had been in charge of teaching computer class for some time now, and most of the elementary teachers still teach the class themselves (grades 2-5). To make things easier on everyone we placed shortcuts for all the programs we would be using (Office, IE, My Documents, My Computer, My Network, and some other programs we had) onto the Desktop. I don’t like having icons cluttering up my desktop, but these kids do. After all, what’s the alternative?

To open a program without a shortcut on the Desktop they have to open the Start Menu, click on All Programs, find and open the program’s folder, and can then finally click on the program icon to open up the program. That’s like a ga-gillion steps! many of them asked if they could place the icons on their desktop and I refused to let them. After all, Windows 7 has the “Pin to Taskbar” feature which I just love. I tried to get them to use this, at least for the programs I needed them to use for their project. Some of them just wanted those icons on their Desktop, though, regardless of how messy and disorganized it looks (although I am beginning to think they put them out there just so they can play with them; moving them around and rearranging them all the time).

And then, again just this morning, I remembered something which should have been apparent the first time I did it. When the students are asked to open a program or file which is not on their Desktop or pinned to the Taskbar, their Google training takes over and they search for this file/program. In Windows 7 you can open the Start Menu and just start typing (and you don’t even need to touch the mouse). You will perform a quick search of the Start Menu, control panel, and recently opened files among other items. In Windows 8 you can do the same thing right from the Start Screen. When you’re on the Start Screen you just start typing and you can find whatever you are looking for. Laziness, it seems, may have won this round.

After giving it some more thought I have decided maybe the lack of a Start Menu isn’t as bad as we thought. Kids these days don’t want to work for something. If they know the name of the program and they can just start typing that name to make it appear in front of them… why not? The only concern I have (besides the fact technology is making it easier to be lazy) is that my students already believe they saved their documents to Word (“Where did you save your document, Susie?” “In Word.” “What folder did you save it in?” “What’s a folder?” *sigh*). They do not understand what a “file” is, nor do they understand how to work with them. They try to “open” pictures with Word instead of inserting pictures into Word documents. They never pay attention to where they save work, rather they just type in a name and hit the save button, believing, once again, they have saved the work to the program they were using. When they switch computers they cannot find their work (which probably wasn’t saved to their network folder, if they can even remember what that is or where it’s located). They don’t have to use computers the way I had to use computers. File structure means nothing to them. They expect to open an “app”, use it, save their work to it, and have their work appear the next time they go to use it again. They have no concept of file types or extensions, either. I try to weave this information into my lessons, but it is difficult to do for this iGeneration. It absolutely frustrates me to no end!

But at least I’m not as livid about the disappearance of the Start Menu anymore. That’s good, right?

Some new goals for myself

/ DiggsMcGee / Leave a comment

Let it go.

Let it be what it is.

Love.

Do the right thing.

Believe.

Care.

Let them in.

Let it hurt.

Be happy you did.

Make them think: smile.

Make them work: for their sake, not your love.

Let them know who’s in charge: God.

Think first, ask questions later.

Always say “hello.”

Never say “good bye.”

Make sure you let them know they are always welcome.

You have a job, now help then find one.

You found your calling, now help then listen for theirs.